


get my daughter off the street (and sweep me off my feet)

by sevtacular



Category: Holby City
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, F/F, Gangs, Growing Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-15 00:09:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14779895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevtacular/pseuds/sevtacular
Summary: Serena Campbell first meets Bernie Wolfe when she brings youth gang leader Elinor home.





	get my daughter off the street (and sweep me off my feet)

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what this is. Basically Elinor's at the start of becoming a problem child so I gave her some sort of redemption arc with added police community support officer Bernie thrown in?? There's no Jason which is a shock if you read any of my other fics because he's in all of them.
> 
> I described this fic to @Regency as "This was Supposed to be About Elinor But It's Really More Bernie in Uniform Thirst" and that's pretty accurate tbh. Regency is also partially to blame for the title - alternatives included A Tale of two Uniforms (I Know What You're Here For) and The Rehabilitation of Elinor Elizabeth Campbell. But the soft romcom title stuck. Enjoy!

“She’s not in, she’s never in, I told you this was pointless!” Elinor’s voice was the first thing Serena heard as she climbed out of her car and headed up the path. It was 9:30pm and she was tired, having finished an inadvertent thirteen-hour shift. She briefly wondered what her daughter was doing outside before the question answered itself. Stood with her daughter on her doorstep was a police officer, jacket glowing under the porch light. Serena rushed forwards.  
“Elinor darling, are you okay? What’s happened to her?” The police woman coughed back a laugh.  
“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Ms Campbell, but your daughter has been the one causing harm. Several residents of Camberwell Drive and the surrounding streets complained of youths causing a disturbance, and your daughter was one of the larger culprits.” Serena narrowed her eyes and looked at her daughter.  
“You told me you were going to Gabby’s to work on your maths homework and then her mother was dropping you home for 9pm. Why did you lie to me, Elinor?”  
“I didn’t do anything Mum, she’s kicking up a fuss over nothing!”  
“Elinor Campbell, police officers do not bring delinquent youths home over nothing!” Serena shoved her key in the lock so forcefully she almost snapped it. “Come in with me, young lady. You are grounded for the foreseeable future!” Bundling her wayward daughter into the hallway, Serena turned to the police officer.  
“I’m so sorry,” she sighed. “You didn’t sign up to the job to round up my daughter.”  
“Actually, I’m a Police Community Support Officer, not a police officer, so my job is a lot of rounding up youths who think standing on street corners drinking cheap lager is fun.” Serena gasped.  
“Lager?! She’s 14! Oh just wait until I get my hands on her!” Serena grumbled as she closed the door on the officer, her mind already running away with just how ashamed she was of her daughter.

-

To say Serena had been mortified by Elinor’s brush with authority would be an understatement. Serena had decreed that Elinor find a complete new set of friends and also was not allowed out of the house in the evenings when Serena was working. Elinor had pouted and pleaded but Serena had been adamant. She had even threatened to find a childminder to look after Elinor on the evenings Serena had to work if Elinor did not change her behaviour. She was not going to raise a young offender when her daughter had the promise of being a progressive and liberal young woman. Changing the world for the better did not have to involve harassing the neighbours whilst drinking cheap lager. True rebels picked their battles wisely.

Things seemed to be going well. Elinor’s school report improved thanks to her spending more time at home rather than on street corners, and Serena got no more visits from police community support officers. Even Elinor had seemed to be perking up, and was treating Serena with a little less attitude.

-

Serena had a night off and was sat watching a rerun of Marple on the television. Elinor was at Edward’s for the weekend so she had an entire evening to herself. A rarity. Just as Miss Marple was witnessing the son of the dead man leaving the study, a knock sounded at her front door. Serena jerked, startled by the loud noise dragging her from the story.

Serena opened the door to see Elinor looking grumpy and wearing far too much makeup. She was accompanied by the same PCSO as before.  
“Elinor?” Serena’s voice was steely.  
“Mum.” Elinor addressed the floor.  
“What are you doing? I thought you were at your father’s?”  
“I told you!” Elinor addressed the PCSO. She looked back at Serena. “She wouldn’t believe me when I gave her his address.” The woman looked sheepish.  
“I’ve been given the slip before by young ‘uns.” Serena smiled.  
“Not to worry. Come on inside young lady and go straight to the bathroom to wash all that muck off your face. Then you can come down and apologise to me and this kind officer. I’ll ring your father and say you’re staying here. Would you like to come in too, Officer…”  
“Wolfe. Bernie’s fine though.”  
“Officer Wolfe. I’ll make you a cup of tea and you can explain just what my daughter has been getting up to.”

Whilst Bernie had her cup of tea, Serena called Edward and proceeded to give him a thorough dressing down.   
“How did you let our daughter leave looking like a trussed-up Christmas turkey? She has enough foundation on that face to plaster a wall with! Oh. I see.” Serena’s voice turned even more sarcastic. “Well, if Liberty did her make up that’s alright then. Of course, she knows just how to make my fourteen-year-old look like a tart, Liberty’s barely out of college herself.”  
And on she went. By the end of the phone call, Edward had resorted to one syllable answers. Eventually, she put the phone down and turned to see the officer looking at her bemusedly. 

“Divorce. The best and worst thing you can go through in life. Are you married?” Serena sat down. Bernie blushed.  
“Ah, no. I’m, uh. Ex-army. Didn’t have time.”  
“That’s quite a career move, army to police.”  
“Not really. I discharged with dignity and now spend my time serving the community in other ways. Mainly rounding up teenagers who think they’re the next big thing.” She nodded towards the stairs. Serena assumed Elinor was in her room sulking. “But I also do a couple of shifts at a soup kitchen and run a couple of military fitness classes.” 

Serena sighed.  
“I don’t suppose you’d be willing to help me get my wayward daughter back under control? It’s hard being a single mother with a job like mine – I’m a surgeon, by the way – and I just,” Serena paused a moment. “I just don’t know how to get her to co-operate. I’m scared she’ll end up on the path of drugs and teenage pregnancy and throw her life away for popularity.”

Bernie looked at her a bit awkwardly before reaching out and patting her knee. Serena got the feeling that the police community support officer probably wasn’t all that tactile.   
“I know a couple of people,” she started. “They run the local army cadets. I don’t know if she’d be interested, but it’s something for her to do in the evenings which offers qualifications and a sense of belonging. And there the only way to move through the ranks is by staying in line and working hard. I loved it as a kid. I also help out sometimes. You could see if she wants to give it a go?” Bernie shrugged. Serena considered the offer.  
“I’ll talk to her, see if she wants to consider it. Thank you, Bernie.”  
“Not a problem.”  
“I should probably see you out. I have a misbehaving daughter to talk to!”

As the door closed behind the police community support officer, Serena wondered why she was so sorry to see the woman go.

-

Elinor was more agreeable to the thought of attending army cadets than Serena had first assumed. Elinor had flounced out of the Girl Guides moaning about how boring it was and saying it was unfair of Serena to make her waste her Tuesday evenings baking cakes and lighting camp fires. Serena had expected Elinor to have the same attitude towards army cadets. But no, Elinor actually seemed rather excited about the whole idea.  
“They’ll teach me to, like, fight and dodge and stuff, right? I’ll be well badass.” Serena was too pleased about her reaction to comment on the questionable choice of language. “Also, if I do cadets I’ll totally win all the prizes next sports day and stick it to Suzie Rogers.”  
“Well, that’s a good, positive attitude, Ellie. I’ll contact them for you.” Patting her daughter’s hair, Serena left the room.

It was only when she was back in her own bed that she realised Bernie had never given her any details. She’d just have to look up the local cadets group on the internet.

-

She didn’t need to. Two evenings later, Serena was interrupted by a knock at the door. Ellie was upstairs, so she was unsure who it could be. Stood on the other side of the door was a sight to make Serena grip the doorframe to steady herself.

Bernie was stood under the porch lamp, looking for all the world like an angel from Serena’s fantasies. Serena had thought the police community support officer uniform was cute. The fatigues she was wearing were not cute. They were smoking hot.  
“Um, hi.” Bernie smiled awkwardly, and Serena realised she had completely forgotten to speak.  
“Ahem… Hello.” Serena tried to smile at Bernie as if she hadn’t been admiring her uniform.  
“I’m just going to help at cadets now, here’s the card while I’m on my way. If she’s interested, Elinor can come along next week. I already spoke to my mate about a possible new addition and he’s fine with it.”  
“She’s very keen,” Serena responded. “Spoke to her as soon as you left.”  
“Oh, great!” Bernie beamed. “In that case, she could come along tonight if she likes. I’m early for once anyway.”  
“Come on in, I’ll ask her.” Serena gestured for Bernie to enter and then turned to shout up the stairs. “Elinor!”

-

Elinor did want to go. She practically skipped out of the house all the way to cadets, chattering amicably to Bernie, a far cry from how rude she had been when Bernie was escorting her home from street corners. Serena was happy to just walk alongside her to meet the cadet leaders and talk about schedules and uniforms and everything else which would be required for her daughter’s new hobby. She didn’t think she’d mind too much if it would mean seeing Bernie in fatigues on a regular basis.

-

Army cadets was a place where Elinor flourished. Serena had never even considered sending her daughter, but now Ellie had friends who were a much more positive influence. Serena had met some of them who Elinor had invited for sleepovers after late cadet nights. They still talked about make-up and pop stars and everything Elinor had always loved. They just did it safely without terrorising the local residents as a form of cheap entertainment. And, when Elinor now said she was visiting a friend to do maths homework together, Serena actually believed her.

Serena felt a sense of pride in seeing her daughter whenever she was in her uniform, her shoes shined and hair in a perfect knot on the top of her head. It sounded cliché, but Serena could truly see how the army was turning her wayward girl into a confident young woman. 

-

Serena, regrettably, could not take Elinor to and from cadets every single week. But she’d had a rather lovely good Samaritan in for form of Bernie, who would walk Elinor to and from cadets on her way there and back every week. In fact, on the weeks Serena was at home, Bernie would still arrive at her house and come in for a cup of tea and a cake before the three of them meandered to the army base.

Serena was beginning to grow rather fond of the shy ex-soldier. Bernie rarely spoke at length, but everything she said was considered and meaningful. Often, when cadets had finished, Bernie would come inside and chat with Serena over a cup of tea. Serena would often find herself losing track of time as the pair of them talked and talked and talked.

-

Serena started seeing more of Bernie after the woman turned up at the hospital whilst Serena was on a night shift. There had been a large brawl in a local park, leading to AAU taking the overspill from the ED. Most of the patients were teenagers with black eyes or sprained ankles. Serena was thankful that Elinor was no longer part of the youth gang culture which seemed to be accelerating in its seriousness throughout Holby City due to government funding cuts to youth groups and services. Serena could easily imagine Elinor being at the front of one of these fights. The thought of her daughter so badly injured caused her to shudder. Serena had approached one of the final bays deep in thought. The sight which met her was enough to pull her thoughts back to the present.

Sat on the bed clutching a blood-soaked swab to her head was Bernie Wolfe, her police community support officer’s uniform splattered with (her own, Serena assumed) blood.  
“Whatever happened?!” Serena asked, removing the swab to see what was quite a nasty laceration.  
“Kids fighting,” Bernie mumbled. “Tried to break it up and got a glass beer bottle to the head.”

Serena immediately began to check for signs of concussion. Seeing none, she proclaimed Bernie to have got away somewhat luckier than most may have in her situation. She offered her some pain relief before getting to work removing the glass shards, cleaning and stitching the wound.

By the time she had finished, Bernie had become drowsy and was slumping into the bed. Serena gently eased her down and stroked her matted fringe away from her eyes.  
“Sleep well, solider,” she murmured. Then, without really thinking, she leaned down and kissed Bernie’s forehead softly.

-

After the incident, Serena started inviting Bernie out for coffee after her shift. At first, she told herself it was just to check on Bernie’s head laceration. As time went on and Bernie healed, Serena couldn’t quite admit out loud why she kept wanting to spend time with the police community support officer. Inside, she was beginning to get a fairly good idea as to what she felt about Bernie.

To return Serena’s kind offers, Bernie would invite Serena to go for a walk round the local gallery or to stroll through the park together. Once, she even invited Serena to her military fitness class, where Serena found herself completely unable to do any of the tasks because, alongside being physically demanding, the sight of Bernie in tight workout clothes was doing funny things to Serena’s feelings. After the class, Bernie had asked if Serena wanted to come to another. “I think I prefer getting all hot and sweaty in more pleasurable ways, thanks.” Serena had said, delighting in the way Bernie had flushed at Serena’s flirtatious wink.

-

Sometimes, Elinor would come on their outings with them. Elinor was now doing tremendously well in school and in the army cadets. Serena couldn’t have been prouder. Elinor also now got on brilliantly with Bernie, a far cry from when the woman first dragged her home to Serena’s doorstep. Elinor would happily come for summer picnics or to the cinema with Serena and Bernie, even turning down an invite to have a girls’ night with Liberty to have one with Serena and Bernie instead. Serena couldn’t help but feel delighted. She was finally managing to reconnect with her daughter.

-

The only problem was, the more time Serena spent with Bernie, the more she wanted to see her. She knew she had become infatuated beyond belief. Serena was supremely grateful to the ex-soldier for helping teach her daughter some discipline. Bit Serena now increasingly found herself hoping Bernie (always in her fatigues) would show Serena a very different type of discipline indeed.

When Fletch tried to set her up with a friend, she had declined. Normally she would have at least tried one date to meet somebody new and ‘keep herself out there,’ as Fletch put it. But the thought of sitting in a bar with somebody that wasn’t Bernie was, well, unthinkable. Somehow, the ex-soldier had wedged herself firmly inside Serena’s heart and it seemed like there was no way of Serena being anything other than head over heels for Bernie Wolfe.

-

It is a truth universally known that a watched pot never boils (or so they say). It stands to reason, therefore, that things bubbled over when Serena was least expecting it. 

She, Elinor and Bernie had gone to the park one sunny afternoon. Serena was sat on a picnic rug whilst Elinor turned cartwheels on the grass beside her. Bernie had remained beside Serena, munching on crackers, until one of Elinor’s old friends from her street gang days had appeared on a shiny BMX. He had cockily teased Elinor for having a girlie picnic with the police community support officer, bragging about how he had been ‘working out’ with some pals.

Elinor, too alike to her mother by far, raised a singular eyebrow and challenged him to do twenty push ups. He had scoffed and spluttered so Bernie had challenged him too, said she bet the boy she could do twenty single handed push ups in less time than he could do twenty regular ones. The boy had laughed and dropped to the floor, Ellie and Bernie joining him on the grass.

Serena watched on in pride as Elinor managed fifteen push ups before tiring compared to the boy’s six. As for Bernie, true to her word, she did twenty push ups with her left hand behind her back in record time, then did a further twenty with her right hand behind her back. Bernie stood and smirked at the boy’s back as, red-faced, he got on his bike and left them alone. 

Elinor, buoyed by their mini victory, had hugged Serena and Bernie tight, her plaits swinging.  
“Thanks, Bernie! You are SO the cool Mum!” 

At Elinor’s words, Serena froze. The cool Mum. Bernie, who wasn’t even Elinor’s mother, who had practically known the girl for all of five minutes, was Elinor’s preferred maternal figure. The young girl didn’t care about all Serena had sacrificed for her daughter through the divorce. Apparently, Elinor had no concern for the trials of balancing being a single parent and a woman wanting to climb the career ladder. Instead, Elinor Campbell was swayed by push ups and army cadets. And as for Bernie, well. The woman with no kids of her own had just pushed her way into Serena’s life and taken the affection of her daughter. Serena had thought she was falling for Bernie Wolfe. Maybe it had all been part of a big plan to turn her daughter against her. That’s what had happened with Edward, wasn’t it? Somebody Serena had loved turned her daughter against her. Well. Serena wasn’t going to let it happen again.

Serena remained distant for the rest of the afternoon. She quietly packed up the picnic and walked back along the pathways of the park, stewing in her own thoughts. Despite the glorious sunshine of the day, Serena had become stuck under a thick, black cloud. She barely even batted an eyelid when Elinor invited Bernie in when they were back at Serena’s house. Instead, Serena slammed the picnic basket down on the kitchen work surface a little more forcefully than was strictly necessary. Damn Bernie Wolfe for worming her way into the affections of her and her daughter!

Elinor seemed to sense Serena’s change in mood and waited until Bernie had gone to the bathroom to ask Serena what was wrong. Serena, having been drowning in her internal thoughts for far too long, snapped at her daughter.  
“She’s your ‘cool Mum’ is she, Elinor?! Not your actual mother? You don’t give a jot about me, do you?!”

Elinor looked suitably shocked.  
“What? No, Mum. I just meant… Well, I thought I was being nice and funny. Y’know, cos of you and Bernie dating…” Serena’s head snapped towards her daughter.  
“Excuse me?!”  
“Well you and Bernie dating. I was joking about her being my sort of step-mum.” Elinor seemed totally confused, Serena’s mind was going at a mile a minute.  
“Ellie, we’re, uh, Bernie and I… We’re not dating.”  
“You’re not?!”  
“No, we’re not.” Serena couldn’t keep the little sigh that left her lips at the admission.  
“But Bernie’s a lesbian! She even specifically asked me if I would be cool with her dating you once on the way home from cadets! Did you turn her down or something?”  
“What?” Serena breathed. This was the first she had heard of Bernie being interested in her. The thought made her heart flutter. A knock on the sitting room door drew the attention of Serena and Elinor to the doorway, where a sheepish looking Bernie was stood.  
“I, um. I think me and your mother should have a little chat, Ellie.” Bernie was flushed and not meeting anybody’s eyes. Sensing the enormity of the moment, Elinor got off the sofa and headed up the stairs to her bedroom.

Bernie sat on the sofa with Serena and finally looked up at her.  
“Look, Serena… I’m sorry.” She took a deep breath. “If I’ve made you at all uncomfortable I can leave and never come back. I asked Ellie about dating you because I like you. God, no. I, uh, I more than like you. But I keep messing things up and I’m worried I’ll do the wrong thing, say the wrong thing, and you won’t be interested. So it seems safer to stay as close friends.”  
“Does it?” Serena wasn’t sure it did. “Would it help change your mind if I said I’ve been wanting to be more than friends with you for far too long now?” Serena raised an eyebrow at Bernie who smiled.  
“Well, that might help. I think I might need a little more persuasion though.” Her eyes were sparkling and her tone was teasing as she glanced down at Serena’s lips hopefully. Serena decided to take action. Grabbing the police community support officer’s head, she pulled her forwards.  
“Will this do?” 

-

“I don’t see the point in going if I already know what I want to be!” Elinor whined.  
“Elinor, your school says this careers evening is compulsory so your step-mother and I will be in attendance.”  
“But it’s pointless! They’ll drone on and on about choosing what you want to be and I know what I want to be! Even if they don’t want me to do it.” The now 16-year-old Elinor rolled her eyes. Some things hadn’t changed in the two years she had been with Serena, Bernie thought.  
“And why do they not like your choice of career? What is it, darling? Please tell me it’s nothing unsavoury.” Serena pinched her nose.  
“No. I want to join the RAMC and be an army doctor.” Elinor claimed proudly. Serena stopped, stunned into silence. Beside her, Bernie was equally shocked.  
“You want to do what?”  
“Be a doctor in the army. I’ll be like a combined version of both of my Mums.” Elinor grinned. Serena grabbed Bernie’s hand and squeezed.  
“Well, darling. Your step-mother and I will definitely be going. We are going to tell St Winifred’s that you are going to be the most fantastic, fearless army doctor in the world. If they won’t support you to achieve your dreams, we most certainly will.”

-

Hi Mums!

I’m on a new posting in the Middle East! It’s super hot, seriously. I think I’ll mainly be treating people for burns and sunstroke! It’s really challenging but also the team are so good. I love all my army mates. They’re like that weird teenage street gang I was in but cooler and with less being an idiot towards all the old people on the street. Also, we drink better alcohol now than whatever we could get from the man in the corner shop back then. Ha! I know you secretly love the fact I was some sort of teenage gang leader for a while – it’s what brought you guys together, anyhow! Don’t worry, you both helped me find the army and realise I should probably work hard in school. I’m grateful. Look at me now!

I don’t know why I’ve gone all soppy in this letter, I guess I just didn’t realise it had been so long. Happy fifteen-year anniversary, you guys! Don’t forget I’m thirty in a couple of months (actually, do. 30 makes me sound so OLD nowadays – though not as old as both of you – in the nicest possible way). I know you’re retiring soon, Mum, so don’t get too drunk trying to be my ‘cool Mum’ (will that joke ever get old? Probably not.) 

Anyway, see you when I’m home in about eight weeks. 

Love, Ellie x

-

**Author's Note:**

> Do let me know what you think - I keep getting flickers of writing mojo and comments boost it so I can work on my other WIPs!


End file.
